Need help with Roost design

[#1California Chick]

Quote:
Me Too!

Don't forget to put a poop board underneath the roost!!! I used "tile board". It is easy to clean off with a scraper every day or two. I put the poop directly into my compost pile. It really cuts down on the amount of poop/flies/moisture in the coop. Also means that my DLM may only need to be changed ONCE a year!!!

Good Luck!

Cindy

 

[Vermontmaple]

Thanks everyone. My husband used the 2 X 4 idea.
I will have to put a tray under the roost though to catch the poo.

Here's pictures if you are interested in seeing.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=38170

 

[Barred Rocker]

I used the closet dowels for my roost but I'm hearing more and more that it's better to use 2x4's. My thinking was that the chickens needed something to cling to, I think we used straight tree branches when I was little. Do the 2x4's collect poop? I've got 6 more chicks moving into the coop soon and need to add more to the roost anyway so this will be a good time to fix it. Opinions?

 

[wildorchid053]

very nice coop...gl with the babies

 

[Vermontmaple]

Yes the 2 X 4's collect poop.

But easily cleaned.

 

[elmo]

Quote:
Nice! Thanks for the tip. I can put my sandpaper away.

 

[elmo]

Quote:
Chickens really aren't perching birds; if you take a look at their foot and compare it to a robin or a jay, or even a parrot, you'll notice how a chicken's foot is so much better adapted to walking around on the ground. Chickens tend to prefer flatter perches. It's more comfortable for their feet and they can hunker down and cover their toes with their feathers to keep them warm in cold weather, too.

 

[Zuesdude]

We use a 2x4 with the 2" end cut to 1" so the bird can grip the board coorectly

and our run has a wagon wheel and two other purches.

 

[fiddleblue]

I read in Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens about using 2 by 4's with the wide side up, but with edges rounded or curved over. I plan to do that for my coop which is also under construction. I'll use a router to curve over the two edges of the 2 by 4.

 

[Barred Rocker]

I'm wondering if landscaping posts would work ok? They're somewhat flat and rounded too but sort of bulky.